This invention relates to a new and improved garment bag intended for packing, storing, transporting and unpacking clothing and personal effects. More particularly, this invention relates to a new and improved garment bag that can be easily packed for or partially unpacked during travel and useable as a valet for convenient access into the garment bag so that individual items of clothing and personal effects packed therein can be retrieved without substantially unpacking the garment bag.
A typical garment bag unfolds and hangs from a door, hook or closet bar. To open the unfolded, hanging garment bag, a traveler is required to unzip the split closure panels through the vertical middle of the bag. Also, the traveler detaches the split closure panels from the top gusset panel if the closure panels are attached thereto by zippers or snaps. To pack clothing such as suits, blouses and shirts which are hung from hangers, the traveler had to either fold the hanging clothing and stuff the bottom portions of the clothing into the bottom portion of the garment bag or manipulate the garment bag by hand around the clothing hanging partially therein. Folding causes undesirable creases and wrinkles in the clothing and manipulating the garment bag by hand to avoid folding of the hanging clothing is awkward for packing.
To maximize storage space, accessory compartments are typically sewn into the closure panels for packing accessories and other personal effects. For convenient access into the garment bag, the traveler unpacked at least the upper accessory compartments sewn into the closure panels. This unpacking was necessary because, when the closure panels were unzipped, the weight of the accessories in these accessory compartments caused the closure panels to obstruct access into the clothing compartment for retrieval or packing of the hanging clothing. If the closure panels remained zipped, the accessory compartments were easily accessible but at the expense of eliminating access to the clothing compartment.
Inherent in the various designs, garment bag manufacturers have long recognized the need to provide travelers with a garment bag that is easy to pack and convenient to use while travelling.
One garment bag manufacturer provides a removable closure panel for its garment bag. Now, the traveler has complete access to the clothing compartment. However, the accessories and other personal effects found in the accessory compartments sewn into the closure panel are no longer a convenient and integral part of the hanging garment bag. Either the closure panel is hung separately or placed upon a bed or dresser for access therein.
Other garment bag manufacturers provide a door-like closure panel that zips and unzips along two horizontal sides and one vertical side. The remaining vertical side which is integrally attached to one side of the garment bag acts as a hinge for ease of opening or closing the clothing compartment of the garment bag. The closure panel can be folded around to the rear of the hanging garment bag and then secured to the rear such as by using straps. Again, the traveler has full access to the hanging clothes in the clothes compartment. However, accessories and other personal effects in the accessory compartments sewn into the closure panel are completely inaccessable for the traveler because the zipper for the accessory compartment is now positioned between the outer side panels of the garment bag and the back of the closure panel. Failure to secure the weighted closure panel behind the garment bag will cause stress at the upper pivotal corner of the garment bag which may result in tearing the closure panel away from the garment bag.
Yet another manufacturer provides a garment bag having a split closure panels with a zipper extending diagonally from one corner of the top portion of the garment bag to an opposite corner at the bottom portion of the garment bag to facilitate ease of packing and unpacking. However, either the hanging clothing must be folded for packing or the garment bag must be manipulated by hand to pack hanging clothing. Further, if the closure panel that opens into or closes the clothing compartment has an accessory compartment attached, it must be unpacked or the traveler will risk the possibility of tearing the closure panel at the upper pivotal corner of the garment bag.
It is from these considerations and others that the present invention evolved.